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woensdag 23 januari 2013

After months of buildup and snatches of casting information, the pilot for ABC’s Avengers-based television show S.H.I.E.L.D. began filming this week – and fans were treated to a few behind-the-scenes photos from the set.

Thanks to a few photos tweeted out to the geek world by co-showrunner Maurissa Tancharoen, news has broken today that S.H.I.E.L.D. – ABC’s planned TV series based off of Marvel’s The Avengers – has officially started production.

Tancharoen’s photos don’t reveal much in terms of the series’ plot, but they do offer a peek at the on-set atmosphere. In addition to a photo of heat lamps (how glamorous!) Tancharoen and her husband Jed Whedon shared pictures of their director’s chairs printed with the names M.A.U.R.I.S.S.A. and J.E.D respectively. Perhaps the most relevant of the pictures though, is one of Joss Whedon in a rather dramatic silhouette; Whedon is directing the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot, and will serve as executive producer for the series.

Described as “spy-fi”, S.H.I.E.L.D. will star Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, as well as Iain De Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, Brett Dalton and Chloe Bennet as other members of the team.

Though S.H.I.E.L.D. has not yet been ordered to series, ABC has expressed confidence in the project, leading many to speculate that if all goes well, the series may join ABC’s lineup for Fall 2013.

Among the barrage of pilot pickups this evening, CBS closed two casting deals for Under The Dome, its 13-episode summer series from Steven Spielberg and Stephen King. Natalie Martinez and Alex Koch have joined the show based on King’s bestselling 2009 novel. Under The Dome is set in Chester’s Mill, a small New England town suddenly and inexplicably sealed off from the rest of the world by an enormous transparent dome.

The town’s inhabitants must deal with surviving the post-apocalyptic conditions while searching for answers to what this barrier is, where it came from and if and when it will go away. Martinez will play Linda, a young, ambitious deputy, fiercely loyal to Sheriff Duke Perkins, who runs a tight ship in the town of Chester’s Mill.

Koch, repped by WME and One Entertainment, will play Junior Rennie, son of the local politician and car dealer, who is a smart, secretly deeply disturbed college freshman desperately in love with local girl Angie, a waitress who’s desperate to get out of Chester’s Mill. Martinez, repped by WME and Mosaic, stars in Broken City.

With TV series based on Psycho, Fargo and About A Boy announced, we wonder whether the future of film remakes lies on the telly...

If the film industry had a mantra it would be: “if it ain’t broke, remake it”. As long as cinema has existed so have remakes, recycling popular books, films and musicals to feed the appetites of audiences hungry for familiar big-screen fare.

The reuse of creative material comes in so many forms, and it’s pointless to try and distinguish between them. Whether it’s an adaptation, a remake, a reboot, a reimagining, a sidequel (The Bourne Legacy), or whatever ludicrous name you want to give it, the principle is the same. At its least dependent, this could be something like Dr Strangelove, which was based on Peter George’s novel Red Alert, and at its most extreme something like the shot-for-shot remakes of Funny Games and Psycho by Michael Haneke and Gus Van Sant respectively. There is no hard and fast rule about the quality of such films, but my choice of examples here should speak for itself.

Dr Strangelove is an acclaimed film and a successful adaptation because it had something new to say about its source material. Stanley Kubrick retained most of the plot except for one crucial change to the ending and a change in tone. In Red Alert, the bomb fails to destroy its target, unlike Kubrick’s more darkly satirical version where the world is pushed to the brink of apocalypse. When the source material is one part of the director’s overall vision rather than its foundation, the result tends to be much richer, inventive and worthwhile.

On the other hand, you really have to wonder why Haneke and Van Sant bothered to get out of bed and film their remakes. The 1998 version of Psycho is such a slavish imitation of the original that the only skill present is in how accurately the cast and crew have followed Hitchcock’s vision. Van Sant bizarrely justified his decision as an “anti-remake statement” which he expected to become “a huge blockbuster”.

Instead, you have to ask why audiences would bother to go and see a film that prides itself on being a carbon copy of Psycho. Why not just watch the original? Haneke’s remake is arguably even more baffling, as he doesn’t even have the flimsy defence of wanting to recreate the work of a legendary director. Instead, his 2007 version of Funny Games is an English language version of the film he himself had written and directed nine years before (he made the English language version because, apparently, he thought it would get a wider audience with English speaking filmgoers. It didn't quite work out). If he was trying to improve on the lukewarm response his original received then he failed, with the new version faring 9% worse on Rotten Tomatoes.

Films like these are the exception rather than the rule in Hollywood. Executives love greenlighting remakes and adaptations because they are guaranteed a certain level of financial security. For example, even with the budget of $385 million for the Twilight Saga there was never any real risk in producing it, particularly the later films. Predictably, die-hard fans of the books flocked to the cinema, creating a total box office revenue of over three billion dollars. Although the films were critically panned, it’s hard to see production company executives caring much with that amount of money pouring into their bank accounts.

Suddenly, in the last few years, things have started to change. Not in the fact that things are still being adapted and remade, but that now, their destination is that shiny screen in your front room. Once upon a time having your favourite TV show turned into a film was the holy grail but now television is taking over. A&E recently announced that they would be broadcasting Bates Motel, a contemporary prequel of that much-flogged dead horse, Psycho. After watching the trailer, I’m going to stick my neck out and say that the series might have potential. It stars Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga, and shows signs of exploring the famous oedipal relationship between Norman and his mother in an exciting new way.

It’s unlikely to get anywhere near Psycho in terms of quality, but then few TV shows or films ever will. Instead, it has a chance to use its roots in the mythology of the legendary motel as a means to create something new and exciting. The warring impulses that govern audience appreciation are the shock of the new and the lure of the familiar, and when done imaginatively, remakes strike a fascinating balance between the two. An iconic film like Psycho loses some of its power when most viewers already know the key twists and turns; likewise for perennial spoiler warnings Fight Club and The Usual Suspects. Remakes give you the opportunity to look at something you love in a new way, opening your mind to more meaning and enjoyment.

As well as Bates Motel, other beloved films like Fargo and About A Boy are making the move to the small screen. The Coen brothers are continuing the story of Marge Gunderson in an hour-long special for FX, and NBC have commissioned a pilot based on the Hugh Grant comedy drama (in turn based on the Nick Hornby book of the same name). It’s tempting to view this new wave of adaptations as a sign of the times in this golden age of television.

From the start of the millennium onwards, classic shows have emerged at an astonishing rate, each raising the bar a little bit higher than before. First there was The West Wing and The Sopranos, both beginning in 1999 and running until the mid-noughties. Then came my favourite, The Wire, from 2002 to 2008 with its unparalleled realism and scope, followed by Mad Men in 2007. The latest pretender to the crown of ‘Best TV show ever’ is Breaking Bad, which currently has most of the world hanging on tenterhooks as they await the final half of the final season. Television has never been in ruder health, with the scope for ambition and character development playing a major role in its strength compared to film.

Indeed, many of the greatest living directors are making the move to television, something that would have been unthinkable 20 or even ten years ago. Martin Scorsese was one of the first, directing the pilot of Boardwalk Empire and praising the freedom it gave him compared to film. Now he is being followed by other big names like Ridley Scott, who is directing the pilot of The Vatican, a political thriller set in the Catholic church. Clearly there is something irresistible about the modern television industry, whether it’s a reduced pressure to perform or greater creative freedom. What is certain is that if you follow the trail of remakes you’ll find money is the motivator. The latest batch of TV remakes proves that television is king, and it’s attracting more money than ever before. We can only hope that it uses its powerful position to keep releasing ground-breaking new content instead of relying on tired old ideas.

CBS has ordered a "Beverly Hills Cop" pilot, a Shawn Ryan-produced project that would feature Eddie Murphy turning up as police detective Axel Foley to help launch a series about his son.

The high-profile continuation of the 29-year-old franchise was one of three pilots CBS ordered Tuesday. The others are the multi-camera sitcom "Friends With Better Lives," about a group of thirtysomethings friends, each of whom thinks his or her friends are better off, and the drama "Backstrom," from "Bones" creator Hart Hanson.

Murphy will appear at least in the pilot of "Beverly Hills Cop," written by Ryan, creator of "The Shield." Ryan will executive produce the Sony series with Marney Hochman. Brandon T. Jackson plays Foley's son, who is also a police officer who takes down criminals among the rich and famous.

"Friends With Better Lives" from 20th Television in association with Kapital Entertainment, is written and executive produced by Dana Klein. Aaron Kaplan also executive produces.

"Backstrom," also from 20th Television, is written by Hanson, who executive produces along with Leif G.W. Persson and Niclas Salomonsson. Based on a Swedish book series by Persson, it follows "an overweight, offensive, irascible detective as he tries, and fails, to change his self-destructive behavior," according to CBS.

The network has given a pilot order to an adaptation of the "Sleepy Hollow" legend from "Fringe" and "Transformers" team Alex Kurtzman and Bob Orci, the network said Tuesday.

A modern-day supernatural thriller based on the Washington Irving tale, "Sleepy Hollow" will be written and executive-produced by Kurtzman and Orci, with Heather Kadin and Len Wiseman also executive-producing. The series comes from K O Paper Products in association with Twentieth Century Fox TV.

Fox also ordered two other drama pilots on Tuesday, including "Delirium," from writer/executive producer Karyn Usher ("Bones," "Prison Break."). Produced by Chernin Entertainment in association with Twentieth Century Fox TV, "Delirium" is based on a best-selling trilogy "about a world where love is deemed illegal and is able to be eradicated with a special procedure." With just 95 days to go before undergoing her scheduled procedure, the drama's protagonist, Lena Holoway "does the unthinkable: she falls in love."

Peter Chernin and Katherine Pope are also serving as executive producers on "Delirium."

A third pilot, "The List," revolves around the murders of members of the Federal Witness Security Program, and the U.S. Marshal who leads the hunt for a person who stole a file with the identities of every member of the program. Paul Zbyszewski ("Lost," "Hawaii 5-0") is writing and executive-producing, with "Zombieland" director Ruben Fleischer also executive-producing. "The List" is being produced by Twentieth Century Fox TV.

Fox has given a pilot order to the drama "Rake," which will star "Little Miss Sunshine" actor Greg Kinnear, the network said Tuesday.

Described as "a character-driven comedic drama," the pilot -- which is based on the Australian television drama of the same title -- will star Kinnear as Keegan Joye, a brilliant but self-destructive criminal defense lawyer.

"Brilliant, frustratingly charming, and with zero filter, Keegan is one of life's great addicts," a description of the pilot reads. "His staggering lack of discretion and inability to self-censor land him the cases that nobody else wants, but behind that lies a resolute optimism and belief in justice that fuel his dogged determination to defend those who seem beyond redemption."

The pilot will also follow Joye's shambolic personal life.

Peter Duncan, who created the original Australian series, will executive-produce the American pilot, as will "Rescue Me" vet Peter Tolan and Michael Wimer of "2012."

Simon Cowell and David Walliams had a frosty stand-off at the latest London Britain's Got Talent auditions as the duo spent their time bickering and making jibes at each other.

The pair, who enjoyed a much publicised bromance during last year's series of the talent show, wound each other up during filming at the London Palladium yesterday.

Walliams and Cowell were greeted by the audience with equally loud cheers at the Palladium, but the pair appeared to be competing to score points and embarrass each other.

The Little Britain comic teased Cowell about having "a lot of work done" to make himself look younger, mocked his fellow judge's love life and accused him of turning the atmosphere sour at the auditions with his constant criticism.

He also ridiculed Cowell's recent purchase of a horse with Ant & Dec, moaning that "someone is getting paid too much" and claimed that people don't want to hear about it.

A source told Digital Spy: "Walliams was continually winding up Cowell with his gags, but unlike last year, the big boss wasn't finding them funny.

"The bromance appears to be over and the audience and acts could see tension growing between the pair."

At the end of the afternoon session's filming, the duo bickered over a dance act and Cowell suggested that the performers lacked likeability.

"It's never held you back," sniped Walliams. "I'm a good judge, it doesn't matter if people like me," snapped Cowell in response.

Fox has placed a six-episode order for a comedy from "Ted" team Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild, and given a pilot order to a project from "S#*! My Dad Says" co-creator Justin Halpern and three other comedy projects, the network said Tuesday.

The half-hour, multi-camera "Dads," which is written and executive-produced by Sulkin and Wild and executive-produced by MacFarlane, follows two successful guys in their '30s have their lives turned upside down when their nightmare dads unexpectedly move in with them.

20th Century Fox Television is producing "Dads."

Halpern, meanwhile, is teaming with Patrick Schumacker on an untitled pilot based on Halpern's book "I Suck at Girls." Written and executive-produced by Halpern and Schumacker, the half-hour, single-camera comedy is a "story about a boy becoming a man, and a man becoming a father, in a time before coming of age was something you could Google," according to a description of the project, which is being produced by Doozer, in association with Warner Bros. Television. Bill Lawrence ("Scrubs") and Jeff Ingold ("Like Father") are also executive-producing.

"Friends & Family," meanwhile, is based on the BBC hit "Gavin & Stacey," an will explore a scenario where friends and family "are the best support and the worst nightmare when two very different lovers meet and try to make a long distance relationship work." Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner are executive-producing for BBC Worldwide Productions, with James Corden, Ruth Jones and Henry Normal executive-producing for Baby Cow Productions. The half-hour, single-camera project hails from Sony Pictures Television.

Another comedy pilot, "House Rules," will focus on an introverted Wisconsin family living among a community of over-sharers. Justin Hurwitz ("The League") and Andrew Gurland ("The Last Exorcism") are writing and executive-producing the Principato -- Young/20th Century Fox Television project, with David Dobkin, Paul Young and Peter Principato also executive-producing.

Finally, "To My Assistant," based on the blog and upcoming book of the same name by Lydia Whitlock, will center on assistants at a big New York law firm band together as a family to help each other cope with the obnoxious overbearing bosses who challenge their sanity on a daily basis. Sherry Bilsing-Graham and Ellen Kreamer are writing and executive-producing the project, which comes from Lin Pictures in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Heidi and Spencer's feud with their fellow Celebrity Big Brother housemates has calmed down today (January 22) after an open discussion about clap-gate.

The US reality TV couple riled their co-stars yesterday when they clapped during the news that Claire Richards would not get a letter from her family. The Steps star was denied the letter after Speidi refused to take part in a task for Big Brother, which would have involved them being separated.

Tricia Penrose brought the duo back into the fold today, insisting that she knew the pair were "nice people". "I just want everyone to be happy. I don't like this atmosphere," she said.

Heidi used the opportunity to explain her actions, commenting: "We thought they would separate us for days and that's why we said no. If they gave us a costume we would have loved to do it and we asked, 'Can't we do anything else like other people have?' and they said 'no'.

"We didn't come on the show to be apart - it could have gone on for days like the basement."

Spencer added: "The clap was misinterpreted because everyone was clapping for each team. And then no-one clapped for us."

Heidi said: "I didn't mean to and we talked about it before, and we were like, 'Let's not say anything'. Everyone was clapping for everyone and I felt really proud that we didn't get separated for days so I did a quick clap. And Spencer felt bad, so he clapped and tried to cover for me.

"It's totally my fault, I didn't mean to clap. I just thought, 'At least we were fighting for our marriage' and clapped and then they said, 'Claire's not getting her letter' right when I did that."

Spencer concluded: "And I clapped because Rylan was like, 'Don't clap Heidi' and so I was like, 'It can't just be Heidi!' and clapped."

Rylan said that their explanation "makes so much sense now" and said that he felt like a "weight has gone off [his] shoulders" after their comments.

Heidi revealed: "That's why we were laughing in the bedroom. It came across so wrong. I thought, 'Oh no, I can't believe I did that'. Everyone was clapping and I was in clap mode. And I thought, 'This turned out so wrong'."

NBC has ordered a pilot from "Lost" producer Carlton Cuse, as well as three comedies -- one of them a Dick Wolf production called "Girlfriend in a Coma," about a 34-year-old who wakes up to find she has a 17-year-old daughter.

The other comedies are produced by "The Office" writer Justin Spitzer and "Arrested Development" star Jason Bateman.

Cuse wll exective produce "The Sixth Gun," written by Ryan Condal. Based on a bestselling graphic novel from Oni Press, it is a supernatural western that follows the story of six mythical guns. Eric Gitter and Andy Borne will also produce the Universal Television project.

The first of the comedies, "Holding Patterns," also from UTV, is written and executive produced by Spitzer. The multi-camera ensemble comedy follows a group of friends whose lives change after a plane crash. Peter Traugott and Rachel Kaplan will also executive produce.

An untitled project from "Up All Night" executive producer DJ Nash, which also counts Bateman and Jim Garavente among its executive producers, is about a son, his blind father, and a mother who rediscovers her adolescence post-divorce. The single-camera comedy comes from UTV and Aggregate Films.

"Girlfriend in a Coma," from "Nurse Jackie" co-creator Liz Brixius, comes from UTV and Wolf Films. Brixius, Wolf, Danielle Gelber and Peter Jankowski will executive produce the single-camera comedy, based on the novel by Douglas Coupland.

Aaron Sorkin's HBO drama has cast Marcia Gay Harden in the role of attorney Rebecca Halliday, an attorney who represents Atlantis Cable News against a wrongful-termination lawsuit, a spokeswoman for the network told TheWrap on Tuesday.

Harden, who has appeared on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Body of Proof," is replacing "United States of Tara" star Rosemarie DeWitt, who had to bow out of the series after filming two episodes. DeWitt's scenes will be re-filmed with Harden in her place.

Alert the Dog Pound: The new "Arsenio Hall Show" has been sold in 95 percent of the country.

The late-night syndicated talk show will debut on Sept. 9, anchored by the Tribune Broadcasting station group. It has also been picked up by stations from CBS Television, Local TV, Sinclair Broadcasting, LIN Television Stations, Belo Corp., Cox Enterprises, Media General, Post-Newsweek Stations, Newport Television, Raycom Media, The Grant Group and Sunbeam Television, CBS Television Distribution said.

The show will mostly air at 10 and 11 p.m. across the country.

Hall, who recently won the latest edition of NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice,” hosted the original "Arsenio Hall Show,” from 1989 to 1994. Among its most memorable moments was then-presidential candidate Bill Clinton playing saxophone on the show in 1992.

The show is produced by CBS Television Distribution, in association with Arsenio Hall Communications Ltd. and Octagon Entertainment Productions. Hall and John Ferriter will executive produce.

Dara O'Briain, Melanie C, Jack Dee, Chelsee Healey, Phillips Idowu and Greg James have been revealed as the six celebrities taking part in a Hell and High Water challenge as part of this year's Red Nose Day fundraising.

The six celebs' BT Red Nose Challenge will be a five-day ordeal, which will see them attempt to navigate their way down the Zambezi river by themselves.

Sport Relief challenges have included David Walliams taking on a Thames swimming task and comic John Bishop's Week of Hell fundraiser in 2012.

This year's task features the celebs attempting to travel along the deadly 111km of the Zambezi.

O'Briain and co will have to battle against torrential downpours and negotiate rapids officially known as 'Gnashing Jaws of Death', 'The Washing Machine' and 'Oblivion' as they make their way towards Victoria Falls.

"When I was first asked to do this challenge, I did a quick Google search of Zambezi rafting but after the tenth page of people being instantly flung into the water I turned off the computer," said O'Briain.

"But lives can be changed if people put their hands in their pockets in exchange for our misery so that sounds like a fair deal."

The stars will have to live without five star luxury and watch out for crocodiles, lethal snakes and hippos along the route.

They will have to camp on clifftops and soggy riverbanks and deal with 30 degree heat as they take on the river.

Red Nose Day are hoping to raise £1 million with the challenge, which will help children in Zambia go to school.

Fundraising details and donations can be made at rednoseday.com/zambezi.

2013 marks the 25th anniversary of Red Nose Day, which has raised over £600 million for people in the UK and Africa.

ABC has pulled the comedy "Don't Trust the B--- in Apt. 23" from its Tuesday night schedule, an individual with knowledge of the move told us on Tuesday.

It is not yet known when the remaining eight episodes of the comedy will run. The two-hour series premiere of "The Taste" will air in its 9:30 p.m. timeslot this Tuesday.

As previously scheduled, the "Dancing With the Stars" will fill the Tuesday 9-10 p.m. slot -- which up till now had been occupied by "Happy Endings" and "Apt. 23" -- starting March 26.

Last week, the network pulled both "Happy Endings" and "Apt. 23" -- which stars Krysten Ritter (pictured) and James Van Der Beek -- from the Sundays at 10 p.m. time slot, where it had been filling in for the yanked freshman drama "666 Park Avenue." The comedies were intended to fill the slot throughout the month, but were pulled after both shows fizzled in the ratings, with "Don't Trust the B---" hitting a series low in the ratings with its Jan. 13 episode, posting a 0.8 rating/2 share in the 18-49 demographic most preferred by advertisers.

Time Warner's newly reported deal for the rights to carry Los Angeles Dodgers games may allow the company to charge higher ad rates for its regional sports network, analysts told TheWrap.

No announcement has been made, but Bloomberg has reported that the games will be carried on a new regional sports network developed by Guggenheim Partners -- the parent company of the Hollywood Reporter. Guggenheim bought the Dodgers for $2.15 billion last year.

Time Warner will be the broadcasting partner, but will not own the television rights, Bloomberg said. The Dodgers' current contract with Fox expires at the end of the 2013 season.

The Dodgers' move to Time Warner -- reported by the Los Angeles Times to be worth as much as $7 billion -- is yet another blow to Fox Sports, which for decades had the region's sports in its pocket.

But in 2011, Time Warner snatched a 20-year deal for the broadcasting rights for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers. Fox's broadcasting deals with the Lakers and Dodgers went back nearly two decades.

A spokesman for Fox said he could not confirm that the Dodgers deal was signed. Time Warner did not immediately respond to a request from TheWrap for comment.

Brad Adgate, the senior vice president of research at New York-based Horizon Media, said Time Warner will be able to increase its advertising rates with two of Southern California's biggest teams in its stable.

"They don't have a football team, so the Lakers and Dodgers are probably the two most popular franchises in the market," Adgate told TheWrap. "To have these two, especially if they're playing well and they're competitive, will attract viewers to the games and it'll give [Time Warner] some leverage as far as what they can charge in advertising rates."

Adgate said the deal appears to be part of a trend in sporting events broadcasts coming under the control of regional, rather than national, networks.

"Time Warner is becoming the dominant regional sports network in the market," he said.

Last November, News Corporation -- which previously controlled the TV rights to carry Dodgers games, for which it paid about $40 million a year -- bought a 49 percent stake in the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network. It which airs the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Nets.

"Anything else, people DVR through the commercials," Kathleen Hessert, the CEO of the consultancy Sports Media Challenge, told TheWrap. "But people sit and they watch live sporting events and that's a big advantage."

Under its previous contract with the Dodgers, Fox had an exclusive negotiating period with the team, but failed to reach a deal before that one-to-one window expired. Despite reports that Fox was restructuring its offer, Time Warner apparently swooped in.

"They didn't step up to the plate," Hessert said. "Fans are going to ultimately notice when you've got two major sports properties like that no longer on Fox."

Lee Berke, another sports media consultant, told that Fox Sports remains a major player in the Southern Californian market, since it reupped with Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings and the NBA's Clippers. "They're going to be a substantial presence in L.A. sports for a good time to come," Berke, president and CEO of LHB Sports Entertainment Media, said.

Former Celebrity Big Brother contestant Lacey Banghard has suggested that the housemates were aware of and committed to keeping secret Rylan Clark's departures for X Factor rehearsals.

It emerged yesterday that Clark has been leaving the house during the series to practise for the X Factor live tour, which begins in Manchester on Saturday (January 26), the day after the Celebrity Big Brother final.

When questioned about the controversy by Digital Spy during a PETA photo call in London today, Banghard let slip that Clark's exits were intended to be kept secret, saying: "Oh, I didn't know that had come out. I'm not too sure how I feel about it."

Asked if all the housemates knew what had been going on, Banghard responded: "I can't say, sorry. [You've] put me on the spot".

On her claim in a previous interview that she wanted to "knock... out" Heidi and Spencer Pratt, the glamour model explained: "I thought they were really good people and honest people, and looking back at footage I can see that they wasn't. It just sort of disheartened me a bit."

Banghard said though that she wasn't surprised by the couple's popularity among Big Brother viewers, as "people love to hate".

"I just hope they're putting good messages across," she said. "I like to come and do things like this because I'd like to use Big Brother in a good way, sort of try and help out other people, so hopefully they'll do the same."

Banghard added that her decision to cover up in Celebrity Big Brother - bar a few showers and bra flashes - was out of "respect" for her married housemates.

"I'm quite a free person anyway," she said. "I love nudist camps and stuff, I think [they're] brilliant. You're born naked, you should express it and be comfortable with what you have.

"But there's a lot of married men in there and they weren't as comfortable with me walking around in my pants, so I did decide to cover up a little more. Just for respect of everyone else in the house."

Banghard was out to promote the sterilisation of cats and dogs for PETA, posing in the middle of Piccadilly Circus with two giant condoms.

"PETA's always been something that's been close to my heart because a lot of Page 3 girls have done work with them," she explained.

"They work with massive celebrities and they're a really big charity to work for. They've seen that I've got a lot of views on things from Big Brother, so they thought I would be a good voice. It's something I really believe in, so I'm really happy to be able to work with them."

Banghard also said of the campaign: "If cats and dogs could rubber-up, tens of thousands of animals would be spared suffering and death every year. But they can't, so it's up to us to fix the problem by fixing our animals."

Shout! Factory has acquired worldwide rights to "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" and "Fridays." It marks the first time that either show has appeared on DVD.

"Dobie Gillis" (below) centers on a teenage boy (Dwayne Hickman) and his struggles to win over various girls and achieve popularity.

"Fridays" was a sketch comedy show that was ABC's failed attempt to duplicate the success of rival NBC's "Saturday Night Live." Despite only being on the air for just three seasons, it served as a stepping stone for a number of comedians like Larry David ("Seinfeld") and Larry Charles ("Borat") who graduated to bigger things.

"Dobie Gillis" is the better established property. The series is well-known to a generation of Baby Boomers who tuned in weekly to watch its youthful protagonist's butt heads with his over-bearing mother and strong-minded father. The show's cast of characters also included Dobie's beatnik friend, Maynard G. Krebs (Bob Denver).

"Dobie Gillis" aired for 147 episodes on CBS and featured two actors in its early seasons who would go on to have major careers on the big screen. Warren Beatty played a rich boy who frequently got the best of Dobie in his pre-"Bonnie and Clyde" days, while Tuesday Weld ("Looking for Mr. Goodbar") portrayed the object of Dobie's affection.

Shout, which has built up its business by packaging niche or nostalgia television shows like "Freaks & Geeks" and "Leave It to Beaver," and marketing them to their devoted fan bases, secured worldwide rights from the Max Shulman Trust. Shulman was the creator of the series and died of bone cancer in 1988.

Shout! Factory founders Bob Emmer and Garson Foos told TheWrap that they became intrigued by the property because there was a lot of activity around the series on message boards and other online communities. It helped that they were very familiar with the series themselves.

"We grew up on it," Emmer said. "I fondly remember watching it. It was a passion play, but one there was a lot of interest and a terrific cast."

Shout! Factory is currently in pre-production on a DVD box set of the complete series and expects it to hit stores later this year. The company secured both physical media rights and all digital rights.

Shout! Factory secured the same set of rights to "Fridays," but does not know when it will release the show on home entertainment platforms. The sketch comedy series ran from 1980 to 1982 and, like "Saturday Night Live," it featured celebrity hosts such as Susan Sarandon and Billy Crystal and musical guests such as AC/DC and The Pretenders. Although "Fridays" briefly bested "Saturday Night Live" in the ratings, it went off the air after ABC decided to make "Nightline" a five-nights-a-week program.

The Marine Corps is now backing away from an earlier assertion that Beyonce lip-synced during her performance of the national anthem, saying, "no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded."

A spokesman for the Marines told TheWrap in a statement that the pre-recorded track was used for the backing music at the Presidential Inaugural Committee's request because the singer was unable to rehearse with the band, Knowles' performance wasn't necessarily pre-recorded.

In summary, Beyonce couldn't rehearse, so the Marine Corps. band had to use a backing track. We'll let you decide for yourself if that makes sense while you read the statement below:

"The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) requested that the Marine Band accompany Beyonce Knowles-Carter in the performance of the Star-Spangled Banner at the 2013 Inaugural Ceremony. However, there was no opportunity for Ms. Knowles-Carter to rehearse with the Marine Band before the Inauguration so it was determined that a live performance by the band was ill-advised for such a high-profile event. Each piece of music scheduled for performance in the Inauguration is pre-recorded for use in case of freezing temperatures, equipment failure, or extenuating circumstances. Regarding Ms. Knowles-Carter's vocal performance, no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded."

Previously...

Oh, say, did you see Beyoncé Knowles sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at President Obama's inauguration?

No, you did not -- because she was lip-syncing, according to The New York Times.

A spokeswoman for the United States Marine Band -- which accompanied Knowles during the performance -- told the Times that the "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" songbird's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Monday's inauguration a previously recorded track. The admission creates doubts among many Americans about the legitimacy of the inauguration, the Obama presidency and perhaps the nation itself.

Master Sgt. Kristin duBois told the Times that the singer and the band were told at the last minute by the ceremony's organizers to use recorded version of the national anthem that was taped at the Marine Barracks Annex the previous night. DuBois did not say who why the order was issued.

"We don’t know why,” Sergeant duBois said. “But that is what we were instructed to do, so that is what we did. It’s not because Beyoncé can’t sing. We all know Beyoncé can sing. We all know the Marine Band can play.”

DuBois added that other performances -- including "American Idol" favorite Kelly Clarkson's rendition of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" -- was performed live.

The Marine Band has not yet responded to a request for comment. Nor has a publicist for Knowles, who is scheduled to perform at the Super Bowl half-time show next month, assuming she hasn't been rushed to an undisclosed location by government agents following the lip-syncing gaffe.

Knowles wouldn't be the first inauguration performer to fake it during an Obama inauguration ceremony. Following the president's 2008 election, classical musicians Yo-Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman performed to a pre-recorded track due to inclement weather.

Still, as you read this, Karl Rove is no doubt coming up with a reason why the lip-synching incident means that Mitt Romney actually won the election.

Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special will feature all 11 Doctors, a report has claimed.

An article from the Birmingham Mail claims that current Who star Matt Smith will be joined by his seven surviving predecessors.

Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant are all said to be appearing in the November one-off.

In addition, the report claims that the Steven Moffat-penned episode will use "studio trickery" to include appearances from the first three Doctors - played by the late William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee.

The BBC is yet to confirm any official plans for the Doctor Who special, which will mark 50 years since the sci-fi drama's first transmission on November 23, 1963.

Showrunner Moffat recently confirmed that he has "immense", "considerable" plans for the anniversary but refused to reveal specifics.

James Earl Jones is back to intoning "This is CNN" for the cable news channel after a long absence.

The Oscar-nominee and voice of Darth Vader was a mainstay of the network for years, but his voice hasn't been used between commercial interruptions for awhile. It will once again be a staple of CNN thanks to Jeff Zucker.

Brian Stelter reported in the New York Times on Tuesday that the new CNN Worldwide chief told the marketing department that it was time to use Jones' baritone as a signpost again. A spokeswoman for the network confirmed that Jones' voice had been relicensed to TheWrap.

Zucker's first official day at work was Monday, which happened to coincide with the presidential inauguration and once again featured Jones' tagline.

CNN has struggled in the ratings in recent years, with its apolitical coverage lagging behind more partisan rivals like MSNBC and Fox News. Ironically, Jones represents that exodus in viewers.

In an interview with Tavis Smiley last summer, Jones admitted that he tends to get his news from the left-leaning MSNBC, but does sample some news organizations on the other end of the political spectrum.

"I’m always on MSNBC," Jones said. "I can’t get enough of it. I even venture into the right wing talk shows sometimes."

One news organization that didn't make Jones' cut, however, was CNN. Maybe that will change now that he's back in the fold.